I was trying extremely hard to find a cost effective full suspension. Needed to buy two bikes for me and my wife with a $1K budget and found the 450DS. After a lot of research on other Motobecane models with the same frame I decided to take the leap. I am very happy I did. The bike is solid and I am 245lbs. My wife is 135lbs and she loves it too. The biggest upgrade I can recommend is to change out the rear Shock. I added a air shock with rebound and lockout control and it rides like butter! The front fork is lower end, but it gets the job done. It is a little springy since their is no dampening, but I have adjusted the preload to were its good. The lockout on the front fork is good for uphill. I plan on riding it for a while then upgrading to an air fork (recon solo air or better). The shimano Alivio deraileurs, shifters and cog shift smooth and strong. Basically, you can't get this good of a bike for the price in a LBS without paying over double the price (they want $850 for a hardail with the same level of compnents). Though, I do support the LBS by buying compnents and tools. If you are a beginner, or just looking to have a full suspension, I would highly recommend. Like I said, toss the rear shock and plan for a fork upgrade down the road, but be ready to enjoy a really capable bike out of the box. If you are like me and like to wrench your own bikes and customize it as you go, then this is a great choice.